PRESIDENT PAUL KAGAME SPEAKS FOR THE FIRST TIME ABOUT CLOSED SUBSTANDARD ALCOHOL FACTORIES
President Paul Kagame has spoken for the first time about the recent closure of factories producing substandard alcoholic drinks, saying the government acted because the beverages were causing many deaths, with some days recording as many as 100 deaths.
Kagame made the remarks on Monday, August 23, during a press conference with journalists.
Earlier this month, the Government of Rwanda shut down more than 130 factories producing alcoholic beverages that failed to meet quality standards and suspended the importation of certain alcoholic drinks from abroad after reports that people had been dying from consuming them.
The President said people should not focus on the criticism that followed the closures but instead on the loss of human lives.
“These drinks lack even the most basic quality standards, and they kill people. We should start there. We should ask ourselves, ‘Is this acceptable? Do they kill people? Have they killed people?’ The answer is clear. They kill people, they have killed people, and the number of victims is immense.”
Kagame stressed that the victims were not just one or two people, noting that there were days when 20, 30, 50, or even 100 people died in a single day.
“There were days when 20, 30, 50, and even up to 100 people died in one day. If you add up all those who have died over a year, you can imagine how many that is.”
He said some victims died immediately after drinking the beverages, while others died later, but both cases demonstrated the seriousness of the problem.
The President also said the issue was not limited to drinks produced in Rwanda, as imported alcoholic beverages had also posed risks to people’s health.
Regarding factory owners and traders who suffered losses after the closures, Kagame rejected arguments that expressed more sympathy for them than for the people who died.
He said the country cannot prioritize the profits of those who produce or sell dangerous drinks while citizens continue to die.
“Whether these drinks were made in a factory, at home, or anywhere else, if they kill people today, then kill others tomorrow, and continue killing people elsewhere, what are you really doing?”
Kagame said this was why the government took strong measures, including closing factories and stopping the production and distribution of substandard alcoholic beverages.
He also revealed that some officials responsible for quality control were under investigation after being arrested, as they are suspected of playing a role in allowing unsafe products onto the market.
“I believe some of these officials were involved. They may even have had interests in those factories, or they may have been bribed by factory owners and allowed these products to reach the market and kill people. That is my view, but the investigations will determine the truth.”
Kagame concluded by saying the government has the right to ask why citizens are dying rather than questioning why action was taken against products that endanger lives.
He emphasized that Rwanda will not stand by while unsafe alcoholic beverages continue to kill people and pledged that the government will continue taking firm action against anyone involved in activities that put the public’s health at risk.
